mebane



(No Model.)

T. H. MEBANE.

` GAB. GOUPLINGQ 1 4,1\To.268.117. 1 Patented Nov. 28,1882l UNITED-STATES Q PATENT OFFICE..

THOMAS II. MEBANE, or NEWS FERRY, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF To JOHN w.RASLEY, or SOUTH BOSTON, VIRGINIA.

CAR-CouPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,117, dated November28, 1882,

' Application tiled July 7, 1882. (No model.) i

To all whom it 'may concern Be it known that l, THOMAS H. MEBANE, acitizen ofthe United States, residing at News Ferry, in the county ot'Halifax and State-of Virginia, haveinvented certain new and usefulImprovements in (Jar-Couplers; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usevthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which forni a part ofthis specification. M v invention relates to a coupling for cars; andthe novelty consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, aswill be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed outin the claims. V i

The object of' the invention is to provide an automatic car-coupleradapted for service upon most of the draw-heads now in use and to beoperated from either side of the car, or from the top it' a freight-car,the coupling-pin being tripped into operation by'the act of coupling,and the coupling-link being held horizontally by a gravital lever, whichhas a longitudinal movement or play in the draw-head, as is fully shownin the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication, andin which- Figure l is an end view; Fig. .5, a perspective, showing theincline upon the drawing which operates the trip, and the trip itself;Fig. 3, a detached view of the triplever; and Fig. 4, a longitudinalsection of the draw-head, showing the weighted hooked lever and the linkheld in horizontal position by such lever. Referring to the drawings, inwhich similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all thefigures, A represents the body of the car, upon which is secured thebracket B, in which is pivoted the lever C. Thisleveris composed ot' onehorizontal arm, C', from either extremity of which a jointed rod or rodand chain, G2, connects with a frame, D, carrying the coupling-pin d.This frame D embraces the drawhead E, one arm, df, having projection d2,passving freely upon either side thereof, while-the pin d operates invertical apertures, as shown. lins e2 upon either side ofthe draw-headprevent the frame from being drawn out of engagement with the Same bythe projections (i2 lug,f, which is adapted to vengage the outer i sideofthe bracket fand hold the couplingpin d out of operation when thebrakeman or other operator forces the lever G in that direction.

By a rod, G, which operates loosely through a bracket, g, securedproperly to the end of the car, the coupling-pin may be elevated out ofoperation from lthe opposite side ofthe car, the said rod G having lugg', serving for a similar purpose as does lug j", being secured to thearm G ot' the lever C, the tilting of which in either direction servesto throw the couplingpin out of connection with the link H.

Longitudinally through the bottom of the drawehead E is formed a slot,e, in which opcrates a weighted lever, I, which has a hooked portion, i,under which the brakemau or other attendant is supposed to place the endofthe coupling-link H to hold the same automatically in a horizontalposition, `in order that it will readily engage the draw-head of theopposite car. The draw-head E is also provided with an incline, c',against which bears a correspondingly-inclined end, It', of atrip-lever, K, pivoted at k to the end of the car, from the opposite endof which extends a vertical rod, L, having a hooked upper extremity, l.

The operation of the invention is obvious. The brakeman or otheroperator, by tilting the lever C through the rod F until the lugfengages with the bracket f, which brings the coupling-pin d out ofoperation, is enabled to readily uncouple the cars. To couple them heplaces one end ofthe coupling-link under the hooked end t' ot' theweighted lever I until it assumesa horizontal position. As the cars cometogether the incline c' upon the drawhead E elevates the inner end, 7c,of the triplever K, which, operating through the vertical rod L, servesto liberate the lug f' of the rod F from the bracket f, and the tiltinglever C assumes a horizontal position, allowing the coupling d toreadily gravitate into operation. This operation may be performed fromeither side of either end of a car with equal facility, and, in case ofa freight or cattle car, from the top thereof, While the longitudinalplay in the slot e allows the operator to use links of differentlengths, and also prevents breakage when the cars come together, byletting the lever I recede into the draw-head E by means .of the slot e.Bent links may be used when the cars are of different heights.

The important features of this invention I consider to be contained inthe slotted drawhead E c in its relation to the Weighted lever I, theframerD, and the arrangement of operating-levers, as shown.

Modifications in details of construction may be made-without departingfrom the principle or sacriiicing the advantages of my invention, theessential features of which are fully illustrated herein.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

1. The draw-head E, having incline c, combined with the trip1ever K,coupling-pin, and operating-lever, as set forth. Y

2. The tilting lever G, having` cross-arms F G', and the operating-rods,combined with the coupling-pin, as set forth.

3. The tilting lever C, having arms F Gr', the rods F' G, andconnections G2, combined with the coupling-pin d, as specified.

4. The frame D, having arms d', provided with projections d2, the saidframe carrying the coupling-pin d, combined with the draw-head E, havingpins e2, whereby the frameD is prevented from becoming disengaged fromthe draw-head by the projections d2 coming in contact with said pins,and the operating-levers F G C, as and forthe purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signatnrein presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS H. MEBANE.

Witnesses:

MAX HORN, W. H. BUNTIN.

